on the trail of the archaic revival

This site is not a just recipe website, although thats what it comes across as. What we are really sharing here are techniques: some of which our ancestors perfected over years and years, all over the world. Fermentation, soaking grains, beneficial herbs, bone broth, & preserving food are all part of what we like to call 'the archaic revival'. We also serve up ideas, challenges and neat foods and vegetables that you may not have tried.

Our priority is to use fresh organic produce, dairy, grains and meats. We begin with the groceries available to us (and that we can afford), preferably at a local farmers market and/or co-op. Once we have our ingredients, then we either look them up in the index of one of our fave cookbooks, or barge ahead on inspiration. One thing we are sure of - organic just tastes (feels!) better. Because we really love food, its all about using wonderful ingredients.

connecting food to farming

Its difficult to over-estimate the value of farmers and their endeavors. Given the importance of their work to our health, they would seem to deserve all our affection and more. We are encouraged by the recent trend away from big agriculture and monoculture. The small (and large) organic farms that are cropping up all around the world are making life better for their communities, and maybe for all of us. Organic meat, cheese, wine and beer are also making inroads to modern life. Sometimes the word 'conscious' comes up in place of organic: this word denotes the sense of personal responsibility that may lead to a better future.

contact us

We welcome your input, comments, submissions and suggestions. If you have questions about a recipe, life in northern california or kung-fu cooking, we would be happy to answer them. mail at wonderfulingredients dot com

Baked Red Kuri Squash

this recipe works well with any of the winter squash. i recommend adding a bit of whatever you have laying around to the roasting pan, an onion quartered, garlic, beets, parsnips and or potatoes slathered with a little oil makes good use of your oven time. a baked red kuri is perfect for our autumn coffee cake.

preheat
oven to 375 degrees. cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and
rub the flesh with oil or butter. (the squash may be too hard to cut,
in this instance bake whole and increase baking time 1 - 1 1/2 hours).
place cut side down on a cookie sheet or baking dish and place in the
oven. bake 40-50 minutes until the flesh is tender. remove from oven
and allow to cool slightly. cut into slices and serve sprinkled with
salt and butter.